Pride and Joy
by Allekha
Summary: Tsuzuki is terribly fond of his shikigami. 12&1 drabbles.


A/N: Written for dancing_serpent for Fandom Stocking 2013. Each drabble is 100 words exactly.

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**Souryuu**

Souryuu stumbles upon Tsuzuki in the gardens, looking unusually morose; earlier he had seemed happy, and Souryuu had assumed that he'd gone to listen to Kouchin's music, or off with Byakko.

Tsuzuki is staring at a flower in his hands. "There was a little girl... these were her favorite." The regret is too heavy in his voice.

Souryuu kneels down beside him, already considering his words. "Tsuzuki..." Tsuzuki is not one of his children, looking for advice or mindless comfort. By the end he is unsure he has really said anything, but Tsuzuki looks at him, the flower is gone.

**Byakko**

The wind rushes by them, cooling on a hot summer day. Byakko _almost_ misses the turn and nearly crashes into a mountain sage's hut – maybe they should've saved the alcohol for _after_ they went swimming, oops. Tsuzuki just laughs and winds his fingers further into his fur.

It's only a little longer until they land. They splash together in the shallows of the pond, surprising the fish. When they tire of the water, they stretch out on the moss. Tsuzuki doesn't contest his patch of sunlight; he rests his head on a tree root and sings to the birds.

**Suzaku**

Tsuzuki seems down today. Not _depressed _like he gets after bad cases, not mopey like after changing partners again - maybe an argument?

Suzaku doesn't need to plaster on a smile; she's always happy to see him. He brightens up as he spots her running toward him, laughs as she tackles him and hugs him tight. "Tsuzuki! I missed you, it's been too long!"

She was exploring a few days ago and found a nice little pool, and today the weather is beautiful. She thinks he'll like it; by the time they arrive he'll have forgotten what made him sad.

**Genbu**

"Hey, old man Genbu," Tsuzuki says, and hands him a fifty-yen coin before he can ask after money. "Are you up for a game today?"

"Yes, yes." Genbu quickly shoves the coin into his sleeve and leads Tsuzuki over to the Goban. He sets the usual handicap stones and they begin playing.

Tsuzuki doesn't _actually_ like Go; he's no good at it and resists all attempts to learn more than basic strategy. So they don't really play Go; instead they talk, chatting about this-and-that like two old men. Hours later, Genbu wins, of course, the coin warm in his sleeve.

**Daion**

One beautiful winter day, they go for a walk together, Daion and Tsuzuki. Well, Tsuzuki carries Daion, but the pot is not so heavy, and they admire the scenery together.

"What pretty mountains!" Tsuzuki stops, cradling Daion carefully, to admire the peaks with low clouds misting about them and snow dusting the trees.

"Aren't they?"

It is very cold out today, and rather windy, and it has been snowing for a while. Yet Daion is a gentle warmth, and Tsuzuki feels no need to escape the chill. Instead he snuggles the pot closer and asks which path they should take.

**Taimou**

The humans who had challenged Taimou in the past always seemed unnerved; Tsuzuki looks right at Taimou's shadowed face and keeps on talking.

"It's been a while!" he says. Then he narrows his eyes and lowers his voice conspiratorially: "So, has anything interesting happened...?"

Everyone knows that Taimou is very attentive; it's come in handy quite a few times. What not _all_ of them knows is that Taimou and Tsuzuki gossip together like anything. He likes to hoard information about his shikigami, and when he use it to tease Souryuu or Suzaku later, Taimou will smile from the sideline, unseen.

**Kijin**

It is not really surprising that Kijin likes storms. The first time Tsuzuki finds him standing on the edge of a courtyard as the sky flashes with lightning, he feels as if he had expected it.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Kijin breathes.

"Well, I don't think _I_ would really say 'beautiful'..."

Kijin starts like he didn't expect his new companion to be Tsuzuki. He blushes and stammers a little; it's really cute. Tsuzuki smiles and says, "But you must really love it!"

Kijin nods. The thunder rattles the flowerpots but not Tenkuu's walls. They watch together as the storm goes on.

**Tenkou**

"Tsuzuki!" She's been trying to catch up with him for ages, running all around. He turns at the sound of her voice; she wastes no time in racing up. "I wrote you a poem!"

"Really?" He thanks her as he accepts the paper she's waving, and she quiets as he reads it. "This is really good! Thank you!" His smile is bright, and better, _honest_.

Most people, Tenkou thinks, praise what she makes just because they want her to feel happy. Tsuzuki, though – she's pretty sure he _does_ like her art, and that cheers her up most of all.

**Rikugou**

Gensoukai has no light pollution. When one gets away from the palace to the fields during new moons, the heavenly river is at full glory.

"You can't see anything like this nowadays," Tsuzuki laughs, getting ahead of Rikugou. "Way back, my sister and I used to stargaze and make up constellations..."

Rikugou watches him, but Tsuzuki only sounds nostalgic. He sets the picnic basket down and flops to the grass, gesturing Rikugou after him. Rikugou lays down beside him, dutifully accepting the rock-hard biscuit handed to him as he points to a group of stars and begins to spin stories.

**Touda**

He often likes to watch the sun rise from the roof, when it is still and quiet and there are few others about to bother him – especially Suzaku, who tends to rise late.

On his way out to his favorite spot, Tsuzuki suddenly calls out his name, and he turns. "Where are you going this early?"

Tsuzuki usually sleeps in too, but for some reason he hasn't today – Touda doesn't ask what nightmares have kept him up. He tags along with Touda, following his up to the roof, where they sit together and quietly gaze to the east.

**Kouchin**

"What shall I play?" she asks with a smile.

It is warm, and the evening air above the meadow is thick with the scent of wildflowers. Tsuzuki picked a bunch of them earlier; now he leans against her leg, weaving them into a crown with only a _little_ trouble. "Mm." He pauses, glancing up at her. "What do you want to play?"

She taps him on the head as he goes back to the flowers. "I asked because I don't know which to play."

He makes a suggestion as he reaches up to put the completed crown on her head.

**Tenkuu**

Tsuzuki doesn't forget about Tenkuu, building though it may be. He likes to run his fingers on the walls as he walks about, trace the carvings, stroke the door frames.

One night he has particularly bad nightmares – there is Muraki, and there are butterflies, and a moon like blood – and he goes walking. He doesn't fall asleep again that night, but Tenkuu whispers to him, vibrates comfortingly under his fingers, guides him to where he can gaze up at the pearl-white moon. He sits for a long time in a window, petting the sill, until the sun rises.

**Kurikara**

After he fails Kurikara's challenge, his shikigami try to smooth the hurt. Kouchin tells him stories about he war, assures him he doesn't want such a shikigami anyway; Suzaku warms his tea and shows off her own fire. Souryuu avoids him; Touda stays silent.

That's when Tsuzuki starts to notice that things don't _quite_ match up. Kurikara is supposed to destroy evil and save good – Byakko even said that he used to be nice, so why...?

He asks Rikugou for help searching libraries; he chases down Souryuu, and waits for Touda to speak, and starts to piece things together.


End file.
